It all starts with a direct message. You are contacted via instant messaging apps or social media with a proposal for “easy work”. They promise immediate income for doing very basic digital tasks.

The message may include logos of well-known platforms or the names of real companies. The aim is to appear professional and earn your trust.

Once you accept, you are added to a group where other people, real or bots, share screenshots of their earnings and completed tasks. This makes you believe that many people are benefiting.

The tasks become more complex and offer better rewards. Eventually, you are asked to send money to strangers with the promise of repayment plus a bonus.

The amount requested increases until everything stops. The money is not returned and contact is broken. The channels disappear and there is no way to claim it back.